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It's Just Research

It's Just Research

Written by: School of Education Communication & Society
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It’s Just Research is a podcast produced by the School of Education, Communication & Society (ECS) at King’s College London, that demystifies research while offering a critical outlook onto the global challenges we face in the 21st century.


Bringing to light the behind-the-scenes of research, the interviewees will unpack the research concepts, theoretical and methodological approaches, and ambitions for social change driving their diverse interests – from sociolinguistics, education technology and its effects on social inequality, youth work, post-colonial community building, health ethics, to science and mathematics, sustainability and ecological approaches to education.


A new episode is released on the first Tuesday of each month.


Hosted by ECS academic Dr Sara Black and PhD students Liam Cini O'Dwyer and Pippa Sterk; executive produced by Sylvie Carlos, PhD student in ECS and audio producer.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

School of Education, Communication & Society
Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • The Thief and the Cash Cow - Precarity, Migration and the Politics of Work
    Jul 15 2025

    In the final episode of Season Two, hosts Dr Sara Black and Dr Pippa Sterk speak with Dr Panos Theodoropoulos about his upcoming book 'The Precarious Migrant Worker,' which explores how migrant workers come to internalise precarity in the UK’s low-wage economy.

    Drawing from his own experience working in factories, warehouses and restaurant kitchens, Panos blends theory with vivid ethnography to unpack why precarious migrant workers are so difficult to organise—and what’s at stake when labour is tied to migration status.


    The conversation explores the tension between being seen as either a ‘thief’ or a ‘cash cow’, and how migrant workers are often labelled as these metaphors. Together, the hosts and guest reflect on the institutional forces that shape working lives, the costs of resistance, and the power of telling stories from inside the system.


    The Precarious Migrant Worker by Dr Panos Theodoropoulos will be released in Spring 2025


    Follow us:

    📸 Instagram: @itsjustresearchpodcast

    🐦 Twitter: @justresearchpod

    📧 Email: justresearch-ecs@kcl.ac.uk

    🌐 Website: kcl.ac.uk/its-just-research-an-ecs-podcast

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    25 mins
  • Defending the Spirit of Youth Work
    Jun 17 2025

    In this episode, hosts Dr Sara Black and Dr Pippa Sterk speak with Dr Tania de St Croix and Louise Doherty about their research into how youth work is being reshaped by impact measurement and policy reform.


    Having started off as youth workers, both Tania and Louise journeyed into academia through their desire to research the field within which they worked, which has been the subject of continual budget cuts and changes implemented by policy. They joined forces on the research project ‘Rethinking impact, evaluation and accountability in youth work’ in 2017.


    Drawing on their article “Embers and Fragments,” they reflect on the pressures of proving value in a field rooted in trust, relationships, and voluntary participation. Together, they challenge the rise of a deficit-based model that demands evidence from marginalised young people, and explore how creative, critical research can help protect the future of youth work.



    Follow us:

    📸 Instagram: @itsjustresearchpodcast

    🐦 Twitter: @justresearchpod

    📧 Email: justresearch-ecs@kcl.ac.uk

    🌐 Website: kcl.ac.uk/its-just-research-an-ecs-podcast

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • Becoming a Teacher, and the Everyday Performance of Teaching
    May 14 2025

    In this episode, hosts Dr Sara Black and Liam Cini O’Dwyer are joined by Dr Sarah Steadman to explore her research into the emotional and complex journey of becoming a teacher.


    Dr Steadman, a lecturer in English Education and Programme Director for PGCE courses at King’s College London, shares how her doctoral research unexpectedly led her to a deeper exploration of teacher identity—an area often overlooked in mainstream educational research. Rather than focusing on programme designers or institutional structures, her work centres the voices and lived experiences of the trainees themselves.


    Our hosts and guest reflect on the pressure trainee teachers face, the complexity of navigating one’s sense of self in the classroom, and the individualistic nature of teaching in an increasingly standardised policy environment. Dr Steadman underscores the importance of acknowledging teacher identity in efforts to tackle recruitment and retention, especially as the profession continues to weather crises—from pandemic disruptions to policy shifts.



    Follow us:

    📸 Instagram: @itsjustresearchpodcast

    🐦 Twitter: @justresearchpod

    📧 Email: justresearch-ecs@kcl.ac.uk

    🌐 Website: kcl.ac.uk/its-just-research-an-ecs-podcast

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
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